Merger of MAVCOM and CAAM to raise efficiency of service delivery system - Loke

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said with the merger of MAVCOM and CAAM, the aviation industry no longer needs two bodies to regulate the country's civil aviation.

"This single mechanism is also used in most countries that operate the world's main air transport sector such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore and the People's Republic of China.

"This merger will also be able optimising the use of existing human and financial resources besides improving governance efficiency and the service delivery system," he said when tabling the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Dissolution) Bill 2024 for the second reading in Dewan Rakyat, today.

Loke said with the dissolution of MAVCOM, all the commission's functions will continue to be carried out and empowered by CAAM.

MAVCOM was established on March 1, 2016 under the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 (Act 771) as an independent aviation commission responsible for regulating the economic and commercial aspects of the civil aviation industry as well as the protection of the rights of aviation users in Malaysia, with the aim of making the civil aviation industry commercially viable, consumer-oriented and resilient.

Meanwhile, Loke said through the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Dissolution) Bill 2024, which focuses on the repeal of Act 771 and the dissolution of MAVCOM involving matters related to Clause 2 to Clause 14, with all applications or complaints received and not resolved by MAVCOM to be taken over by CAAM.

Apart from that, he said air traffic rights, Air Service License (ASL), Air Service Permit (ASP), Aerodrome Operator License (AOL) and Ground Operator License (GHL) granted to airlines, airport operators or ground operators before the liquidation of MAVCOM are still in force after being merged into CAAM to ensure that national air services are not affected

Clause 9 of Act 771 aims to provide exemption of any license or permit held by a person or any air traffic rights for domestic or international routes allocated to a person prior to the effective date of the proposed act.

"The government is committed to the drafting of this bill, it is to ensure the development of a modern, sustainable, safe and efficient civil aviation sector," he said.